2022 Seed Package Information

Beets:

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Starting

Sow 1cm (½”) deep, 5-10cm (2-4″) apart in rows 30-45cm (12-18″) apart.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. For uniformly sized beets, thin carefully to 7-15cm (3-6″) apart when seedlings are 5cm (2″) tall. Eat any thinned plants, roots and all. root size is controlled by spacing and variety.

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Companion Planting

Beets add minerals to the soil. The greens are very good for the compost. Plant with bush beans, Brassicas, corn, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, and mint. Add cut mint leaves as a mulch for beets. Avoid planting beets near pole beans, as the nitrogen fixed by the beans may encourage leafy beet growth and diminished root development.

Redhead Quinoa

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Starting

Sow 5mm (¼”) deep, 10 seeds per 30cm (12″), and thin to 25-35cm (10-14″) between plants. If growing for baby leaf production, plants can be spaced more closely.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-7.5. Use a well-drained, loamy soil with added organic matter in the form of well-rotted compost or manure. Keep weeded, but otherwise quinoa is drought tolerant and undemanding. It’s a great plant for xeriscaping, and the tall plants look good at the back of a floral border.

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Harvest

Harvest any time after seeds have changed from green to their calico colours, even after light frost.

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Pink Popcorn

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Starting

Do not soak corn seeds prior to planting. Plant 2-5cm (1-2″) deep (shallower for sh2 seed or in cool soil). Sow seeds around 7.5cm (3″) apart, in rows 60-90cm (24-36″) apart. Because corn is wind pollinated, plant in a dense block of at least 4 rows, rather than in single rows. This increases the chance of corn pollen, which emerges from male flowers at the growing tip, to fall down onto the receptive female silks that extend from each corn cob.

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Growing

Thin to at least 20-25cm (8-10″) apart in the row. Large eared and double-eared varieties need to be 30cm (24″) apart. Keep free of weeds until knee-high, and then leave it alone.
Use the days to maturity listed for comparative purposes among the varieties only – every garden may be different.

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Companion Planting

Corn is a good companion to beans, beets, cucumber, dill, melons, parsley, peas, potato, soya beans, squash, and sunflower. Avoid planting next to celery or tomatoes. Amaranth makes a great mulch between rows by competing with weeds and conserving ground moisture.

Pumpkin

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Starting

Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.

For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.

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Arugula

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Arugula is p erfect for baby greens in early spring and fall - even in winter, as it's very cold hardy. Baby greens are ready to cut in only 21 days. Arugula is very well suited to microgreen growing. As microgreens it is delicious and tender, strongly flavoured, but delicate on the palate. With a nutty, spicy taste that is sometimes pungent or peppery, arugula really perks up salads, sandwiches, and even pizza. It is very cold hardy, and has a milder flavour when grown in cool weather. It is high in vitamin A and potassium.

Matures in 30-40 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

    • Nutty, spicy taste to perk up salads

    • Easy to grow

    • Cool season greens

    • Open pollinated seeds

    • Matures in 30-40 days

Sunflowers

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Starting

Sow seeds 5mm-1cm  (¼-½”) deep. Space dwarf varieties 15cm (6″) apart, but give the giants lots of room at 1m (3′) between plants.

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Companion Planting

Sunflowers planted near rows of corn are said to increase yields. Sunflowers can be used to draw heavy metals, toxins, and even radiation from soil, but should be burned at the end of the season if grown for this purpose. Plant sunflowers amid squash plantings to improve pollination and overall production.

Rainbow Swiss Chard

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Starting

Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep, spaced 10-30cm (4-12″) apart in rows 45cm (18″) apart.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Swiss chard prefers loose, deep, and fertile soil that is rich in organic matter. Plenty of consistent moisture is required, especially as plants grow larger. It grows best in full sun, but will tolerate light shade in summer.

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Companion Planting

Beans, Brassicas, and onions make the best companions for chard.

Purple Peacock Beans

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Starting

Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4″) apart and 3.5cm (1½”) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8′) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.

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Companion Planting

Beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.

Dragon Tongue Beans

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Starting

Sow bush bean seeds 2-5cm (1-2”) deep, 5-8cm (2-3”) apart, in rows 45-60cm (18-24”) apart. Thin to at least 15cm (6”) apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. For a longer harvest, plant at 3 week intervals.

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Growing

Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Too much nitrogen fertilizer is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If the plants flower but do not set pods, the cause may be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp-based fertilizer.

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Companion Planting

Plant with beets, Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries

Windsor (Fava) Beans

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Starting

Use a broad bean or combination inoculant to provide a source of nitrogen. Sow seed 5cm (2″) deep, 15cm (6″) apart in double rows 23cm (9″) apart. Germination takes 10-14 days, depending on conditions.

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Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Enrich the soil with compost prior to planting. Keep overwintered plants weeded. Provide stakes or strings between rows to stop plants from falling over.

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Companion Planting

Excellent for fixing nitrogen in the soil. Avoid planting broad beans near onions.

Yellow Peas

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Starting

To speed germination, soak seeds in water overnight before planting. Sow seeds 1 inch deep (slightly deeper if soil is dry) and about 2 inches apart. Don’t thin. Plant rows 7 inches apart.

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Growing

Bush peas can reach 18 to 30 inches tall.  Pole types can grow at least 4 to 6 feet tall. Both types benefit from support (especially bush peas above 2 feet and all pole peas). Thin tree branches or twiggy sticks (pea sticks), trellises, chicken wire, strings, or netting work well. Place into the ground near each plant before it germinates.

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Companion Planting

Companions for beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, parsley, peppers. potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberries and turnips. Avoid planting peas near onions